As a method for producing an alcohol, a method of conducting catalytic hydrogenation of a fatty acid or a fatty acid ester is generally known. With respect to the catalysts used for the hydrogenation of fatty acids or fatty acid esters, studies on many metal catalysts such as noble metal catalysts including Pt and Pd, Cu, Ni and Co, which are base metal catalysts, have been reported. Copper-based catalysts have been mainly proposed as the catalysts used for the hydrogenation of fatty acid esters, and for example copper-chromium catalysts are industrially used. For example, JP-A-7-163880 describes that such catalysts are reduced in a liquid phase under a certain condition and used for hydrogenation. Moreover, attempts have been made for a long time to obtain an alcohol through catalytic hydrogenation of a free carboxylic acid using a catalyst.
For example, JP-A-61-5036 discloses a method for producing an alcohol using a Co catalyst containing a metal selected from Al, Zr, Mo, Y and the like and a metal selected from Cu, Pt, Pd and the like. Moreover, JP-A-48-62708 discloses a method for producing an alcohol using a Co catalyst combined with Fe, Zn, P or the like. JP-A-7-163880, JP-A-61-5036 and JP-A-48-62708 describe that a prepared catalyst is molded for example by shaping into pellets and calcining and then used.
JP-A-8-169855 discloses a method for producing a higher alcohol in which a tiny amount of a basic material is added to an oil or a fatty acid ester to prevent the generation of dialkyl ethers, alkyl methyl ethers and hydrocarbons as by-products during the hydrogenation of the oil or the fatty acid ester. JP-A-2009-255047 discloses a honeycomb structure which is formed by integral molding of a honeycomb member used for treating exhaust gas from an internal-combustion engine and inorganic fibers. The pores of 0.005 to 0.03 μm in the honeycomb structure mainly contribute to the removal of chemically harmful substances, and the pores with a pore size of 1 to 50 μm reduce the pressure loss and increase the collection efficiency of PM (fine particulate matters).